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Success Stories

These books tell the inside stories of some of today’s most successful companies. Learn about the innovative work structure at Google, why Zappo’s puts such an emphasis on customer service, or the philosophy behind TOMS shoes. Who knows? Maybe the story behind one of these successful companies will inspire you to launch the next great business.

Delivering Happiness: A Path to Profits, Passion and Purpose by Tony Hsieh.
Tony Hsieh, the CEO of online shoe retailer, Zappos, explains how he created a unique culture and commitment to service that aims to improve the lives of its employees, customers, vendors and backers. Even better, he shows how creating happiness and record results go hand-in-hand.

I'm Feeling Lucky: The Confessions of Google Employee Number 59 by Douglas Edwards.
Edwards, Employee Number 59, offers the first inside view of Google, giving readers a chance to fully experience the bizarre mix of camaraderie and competition at this phenomenal company. Edwards recounts the first, pioneering steps of Larry Page and Sergey Brin, the company's young, idiosyncratic partners; the evolution of the company's famously nonhierarchical structure; the development of brand identity; the races to develop and implement each new feature; and the many ideas that never came to pass.

Inside Coca-Cola: A CEO's Life Story of Building the World's Most Popular Brand by Neville Isdell, with David Beasley.
Neville Isdell was a key player at Coca-Cola for more than 30 years, retiring in 2009 as CEO after regilding the tarnished brand image of the world's leading soft-drink company. This first book by a Coca-Cola CEO tells an extraordinary personal and professional world-wide story.

One Click: Jeff Bezos and the Rise of Amazon.com by Richard L. Brandt.
Amazon's business model is deceptively simple: Make online shopping so easy and convenient that customers won't think twice. It can almost be summed up by the button on every page: "Buy now with one click." Why has Amazon been so successful? Much of it has to do with Jeff Bezos, the CEO and founder, whose unique combination of character traits and business strategy have driven Amazon to the top of the online retail world.

Onward: How Starbucks Fought for Its Life without Losing Its Soul by Howard Schultz, with Joanne Gordon.
In 2008, eight years after stepping down as Starbucks' CEO, Schultz returned to oversee the company's operations during a moment in economic history that left no company unscathed. "Onward" tells the remarkable story of Schultz's return and the company's ongoing transformation.

Start Something that Matters by Blake Mycoskie.
Blake Mycoskie tells the story of TOMS, one of the fastest-growing shoe companies in the world, and combines it with lessons from such other innovative organizations as Method, FEED Projects and TerraCycle. No matter what kind of change you're considering, “Start Something That Matters” gives you the stories, ideas, and practical tips that can help you get started.